Jay
Bhagat
Graphic Designer | Illustrator | Photographer | Art Director | Marketing Strategist | Branding Expert | Product Designer | Sales & Presentations Specialist
About
Jay is a multidisciplinary designer and creative strategist with decades of experience in graphic design, branding, illustration, photography, marketing, and visual storytelling. His design career spans industries from tech and media, to transportation, food, and hospitality, delivering high-impact visuals that drive business results.
With a strong foundation in Visual Arts (Arts York), Arts & Science (McMaster University), and Illustration & Graphic Design (Sheridan College), Jay seamlessly blends artistic vision with technical expertise. He began his career as a production artist for a number of agencies, before becoming a content administrator for iStock, Flickr, and Yahoo (2006-2018), where he played a role in verifying, correcting, and curating image libraries and optimizing their visibility through metadata and SEO strategies, these collections are valued at billions of dollars today.
Since then, he has worked across various creative and marketing roles, including graphic designer & ad rep at Auto & Trucking Atlantic, marketing coordinator at Snaile, and freelance art director for STAY Magazine (2022-2024). His illustration and design work have been featured in The Washington Post, HuffPost, BBC Sounds, Radio France, The Critics Choice Association, CNN, Marie Claire, GQ, and Applied Arts Magazine.
Jay’s expertise extends beyond design—he has played a key role in branding and marketing for major projects, including:
► Pur Crü’s Trois Amis cheese, where his packaging design helped turn the product into a best-seller in Switzerland.
► Maple a start-up virtual healthcare service, where Jay took part in branding efforts including logos for a strategic partnership, the platform was acquired by Loblaws for $400M.
► Ready Coffee, where his designs shaped the brand’s identity and contributed to its growth to four locations and over 2.5 million drinks served in it's first 5 years, now the company is growing across New York State with 11 new locations set to open.
Jay has always been and is passionate about shaping compelling visual identities and executing strategic marketing campaigns that not only tell a brand’s story but also resonate deeply and inspire lasting connections◾